


Riko Thinks Too Much

by Cinnamon18



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 10:25:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17806274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon18/pseuds/Cinnamon18
Summary: Riko, in classic Riko fashion, overthinks her first kiss with Chika. They kiss anyways and it’s adorable.





	Riko Thinks Too Much

Riko checked herself in the cafe’s bathroom mirror one more time before declaring herself presentable. As she made her way back to their table, she thought over her preparations. They’d been dating for three months now but she still had to fuss over her outfits and make sure not a hair was out of place. Was preening that much overkill? Maybe… but this date had been weeks in the making! She had to make sure she looked perfect.

She had met Chika at the train station, and they went to the next town over to get get lunch at a cafe Yoshiko had grudgingly recommended. She had a seemingly inexhaustible list of out-of-the way date spots, and although she always complained vocally about giving out her ‘hidden sanctuaries’, Riko could tell underneath she was pleased to help her friends.

Chika was still flipping through the menu when she got back. “Riko-chan!” she chirped, “The waitress came while you were in the bathroom so I ordered you a coffee!” Riko voiced her thanks and sat down next to her. The cafe was quiet enough that they were able to get seats next to the window. It looked out over the town’s sunny bay, framed on either side by well kept hedges. With little vines twirled around white columns, the smell of fresh pastries baked into the walls, and a bell above the door that chimed their arrival as they walked in, it really was as cute as Yoshiko promised!

While they waited for their server to come back, they made casual conversation about the latest yuri manga Riko had recommended Chika read. “... and when Miwa went for the kiss? I loved how she was awkward but still absolutely adorable!” said Chika, drawing out the ‘absolutely’ to make sure Riko understood precisely how cute terrible kissers were.

They both opted to order from the cafe’s extensive sandwich selection (Yoshiko knew her too well). As they ate, the conversation shifted to Aqours’s next song. “I really want to write a song about love,” Chika mused, “There’s something so universal about longing for the person you love to feel the same way, you know?” Chika’s voice didn’t change, but as she spoke she began to slowly, ever so slowly, lean in. No, her brain was probably probably just playing tricks on her. Riko let the scenic view from the cafe distract her, optimistically hoping that by not seeing Chika’s advance she could keep it from happening.

Their shoulders touched. 

Her eyes flicked up to Chika’s for half a second. Oh god the way she was looking down at her… she _definitely_ wanted a kiss. Riko felt her mind race and blank at the same time. What should she do? Kiss her? Here? With all these other people around? Was she ready to kiss? Did she want to kiss?

As Chika kept moving closer she felt her palms getting sweaty, another one of her unhelpful responses to the situation. Chika was so close she could smell the fruity lip gloss on her parted lips. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears.

Riko wrenched herself from her panic spiral at the last possible moment and shifted away.

If Chika noticed Riko’s reaction she didn’t show it. She continued talking about line balance in popular love songs as if she hadn’t frozen Riko solid a moment before. Sometimes Chika didn’t appreciate the effect she had on her, Riko thought, mentally shaking her head. Chika moved to on to discussing composition, usually a topic that could usually draw her into conversation when she was clamming up, but even that didn’t help. Her brain was firmly detached from her body, letting autopilot handle nodding and smiling while she worried about more important things like “What the heck was that?”

They chatted for a little longer before Chika suggested they head back. It wouldn’t do to miss the last bus, she chided.

 

Later that night Riko lay awake, stressing over her date with Chika. She wasn’t happy with how she handled it. Why had she refused Chika? Your girlfriend wanting to kiss you was supposed to be a good thing, right? Then why had her primary emotion been panic?

Ugh, she would get nowhere trying to think it through like this. She watched the fan blades spin around her ceiling. Riko breathed in and out, doing her best to slow her breathing to their steady rhythm. Sometimes she couldn’t force it. Sometimes, the only way was to let it come to her.

By this point Riko had given up on falling asleep. Maybe she would try piano; it always helped her work through stress. When her brain got stuck worrying the same thing over and over again she could focus on her fingers and push herself to play play the notes faster and faster until her brain had no choice but to forget everything but the expanse of black and white before her.

She shuffled over to the bench in her slippers, stretching the sleep from her fingers and placing them on the keys. She didn’t pick a song, just started playing and let her brain take over. First, an easy question. Did she like Chika? Unequivocally yes. Chika was everything she wanted in a girlfriend. She was sweet, caring, and pushed her to be a better version of herself. Chika understood her. So if she liked Chika, why did she do that? Why didn’t she want to kiss her? Maybe it was kissing in general she didn’t want.

Her frustration crept into her playing. She was accenting her notes too hard. The keys were making little plunking noises instead of their usual hum. That didn’t make sense. Kissing did sound nice! The kisses depicted in romance novels sounded lovely, and every time she thought about kissing Chika her heart fluttered. What was different about actually kissing her?

Her hands flew across the keyboard. Even without paying attention to the song, she knew every note was perfect. So why did it still sound so dissonant? After several measures, grudgingly, she admitted to herself she knew why. She just didn’t want to acknowledge it. It was because she was scared. Scared of not being good enough for Chika.

That was no reason not to kiss her! Chika had specifically asked to be kissed - the only one with reservations here was Riko. Even if she had her doubts about herself, making Chika feel unwanted because of her insecurities was totally unfair. She wanted to be a good girlfriend, and sometimes that meant forcing herself to do scary things. She mulled the thought over until she got comfortable with her conclusion. There was only one thing to do: the next chance she got she would kiss Chika!

Riko was relieved to make a decision. As frequently as she stressed over things, it didn’t suit her. She relaxed a bit on the bench, posture still perfect but less tense, and actually paid attention to her playing for the first time that night. It took her a moment to recognize the piece, but when she did she threw her head back and grinned. Yume no Tobira, huh? It was fitting. Chika was nothing short of a dream come true.

She was fast asleep by the time the first notes of drifted out Riko’s window, over the gap between their balconies, and filtered through her walls. But whether she was in this world or that of her dreams, some part of her was always listening for Riko’s melody. At the first notes, Chika broke into a wide smile.

 

Chika clinked her pencil against her glass as she wrestled with her lyrics. “Writing a love song isn’t as easy as I thought I’d be. It’s hard to get the emotions right.” she said.

“Maybe it would help to hear your words to music.” Riko offered. She looked over Chika’s messy lyrics, experimentally humming melodies trying to find something that fit. It was hard to strike the right balance of energy and space a love song needed. A few notes were scribbled, erased, and scribbled again before Riko put her pencil down.

“Writing a love song is pretty hard.” She said, eliciting a laugh from Chika. “You know…” Chika said, playing with the hem of her skirt, “You’re really pretty when you’re focused.”

This was it! The mood wasn’t going to get any better than this! Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as she put her arm around Chika and leaned in close, holding her gaze the entire time. Chika’s expression changed in slow motion, first shy, then confused, and finally eyes wide as she realized Riko’s intent. Oh god she was really doing this wasn’t she? She paused when their lips were a millimeter apart, so close she could feel the tickle of Chika’s breath. It was really happening! Riko screwed her eyes shut tight and took the final plunge.

Chika was soft, so wonderfully soft. She gave a happy sigh that sent tingles through Riko’s body and kissed her back. The world narrowed in around her until Chika’s fingers in her hair and lips on hers blocked out every other possible sensation.

And then they they broke apart. The kiss was brief but undoubtedly a kiss! Riko felt a surge of pride but pushed it to the side, frantically trying to memorize every detail of her first kiss. When she opened her eyes a long moment later, she saw a tear trailing down Chika’s cheek.

“Chika-chan? Are you alright?” She asked, a note of panic audible. Was her kissing so bad it brought Chika to tears?

“Yes, I’m sorry, I’m just-” Chika sniffled, “-really happy that you kissed me. I didn’t expect it from you, Riko-chan, but.” Another sniffle. “It made me so happy.”

“It made me happy too!” Riko hurried, “I felt bad because you tried to kiss me on our date and I couldn’t do it. I wanted to make it up to you, and kissing you seemed like the most obvious way…” Riko trailed off. Chika was giving her a puzzled look. “I tried to kiss you? You mean our date Saturday? At the cafe?” She asked.

Riko didn’t know what was going on, but there was a sinking feeling in her gut. “Yes? When you leaned in way too close and made eyes at me? That time you tried to kiss me?”

Chika’s gaze remained blank. Then she lit up, “Oh that! I was just admiring your eyes! They looked so pretty in the sunlight. I was wondering why you got so flustered about it!”

Riko groaned, flopping against Chika. She wanted to smack herself. All that worrying? All that stress? Over nothing? “You really had no idea. This whole time.” She could feel Chika giggle against her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She rushed, “I’m not laughing at you, I promise! It’s just, even when you think too hard you never stop caring.” Riko’s only reply was to bury her head further into Chika’s shoulder.

Even after her initial embarrassment wore off, she stayed pressed against Chika. She normally would’ve wiggled out of such an intimate pose, but Chika was oh so soft against her and her arms wrapped across Riko’s tummy in such a gentle hug, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stay like this for a little. Exploring new territory, growth, it was good and all. But sometimes it was nice to do the same old comfortable thing.

It seemed Chika sensed her thoughts. She shifted, pulling Riko closer and resting her head a little more firmly on Riko’s. Chika always ran hot in the winter. Riko joked that Chika was her personal hot water bottle, and in rare mischievous moments would warm her frosty fingers against her (to squeals of protest from Chika). Chika’s warmth was lovely, but it was making her sleepy. She stifled a yawn. She wanted to enjoy this moment with Chika! Post kiss cuddles didn’t happen every day! Riko tried to fight it, but it was no use. She felt her eyes get heavier and heavier, and then finally slip all the way closed.

  
Riko’s eyes fluttered back open. She was groggy, but she could tell the room was bathed in red and orange hues of sunset. A few hours must’ve passed. They’d somehow ended up lying down on her bed, but through some small miracle Chika’s arms had remained firmly wrapped around her.

It was late. She should probably head home. Riko twisted in Chika’s embrace, turning to face her. She raised her hand to shake her awake but Chika looked so content there, physics-defying ahoge swaying gently with her breathing, that Riko couldn’t bear to disturb her. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

Now that Riko was facing her, she could appreciate Chika’s peaceful expression as she dozed. Her girlfriend truly was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Letting the sudden rush of affection cary her, Riko stretched up and kissed Chika again. It wasn’t the best angle for the kiss, really barely a peck, but Riko still felt her body tingle at the contact. She and Chika had kissed! She had worried for nothing! Riko nuzzled Chika’s shoulder, trying to stave off the embarrassment from stealing their second kiss.

Chika murmured something incomprehensible and pulled her closer. Riko sighed happily and snuggled into the embrace. Just a few more minutes, she thought to herself, just a few more minutes with the girl she loved.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my piece for the ChikaRiko secret valentine's day gift exchange (@IYHS_zine)! I wrote this for the incredibly fancy sandra @illichii - I hope it lives up to your expectations!
> 
> Fun fact I wrote most of this fic backwards paragraph by paragraph. I definitely tried something a little different with Riko’s characterization and diction. I like writing worrier Riko though! With luck it read as interesting/fresh and not just undisciplined :p


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